Lead Me To Death
by SweetHeartxx
Summary: When everything falls apart, the death eaters are free and a secret threatens the Order, they are forced to relocate their safe house, but what will it take to find somewhere safe, what sacrifices will have to be made, and what price will have to be paid?
1. A House is Not a Home

**Disclaimer & A/N: Sadly I wish I could say that I could claim these characters, but I cannot. This plot is all mine though, lovely plot bunny. Written for sick-atxxheart's The Safe House Challenge on HPFC. I hope you enjoy.**

A House is Not a Home

"_You fool! Now they'll find us…" Sirius snapped at the petite witch. There was no age difference despite the fact that she looked quite a bit younger due to her small build and girlish features. The Death Eaters had been released from Azkaban; the Dark Lord was on the move again, and only now had she come clean, admitted that one of the death eaters knew the Order's whereabouts, Augustus Rookwood, a longtime enemy of them all, most especially of the small witch in front of him. Why would she tell him the location; was she tortured? If not, she was about to be.  
__  
"Black, do not use that tone with me." The witch, once notorious for her sharp tongue and short temper, now held an even tone, even as she was unjustly under fire. "I knew full well what I was doing. But do not chastise me just because I had once loved and you have not." She knew it was a low blow, but her pride was hurt; and if she could have, she would have searched him out; her fiancé of nearly twenty years now, but he had been locked up for so long, and the Dark Lord had risen again. It was just too dangerous._

"So, because of love, you are willing to throw everything away; you are willing to sacrifice every one of our lives for a man you once hated with every fiber of your being?" Sirius was angry now, she could see it in his eyes, not to mention the color rising in his cheeks. But it couldn't be helped, she meant every word. In school, he had been the one to get all the girls, he was a spoiled brat, but it was because of this that he never got close to commitment with any one of them, that he ended up alone and in Azkaban.

"He won't give us away." She snapped back. The young witch had never really favored Sirius Black to being with, but when he went around accusing her unfairly, she could only take so much.

"Ah, Sirius and Emmeline, I see the two of you still have not settled your differences." The calm, commanding voice belonging to Albus Dumbledore interrupted their spat as he stepped into the room. "But the matter at hand should require the two of you to cooperate for now. "Emmeline, I know you would like to trust Augustus, and that you'd like to believe his priorities haven't changed during his stay in Azkaban, but sadly, Azkaban, as we've seen, can do things to change a man." There was an irritating sympathy in his eyes, but it did its job of neutralizing the witch's anger.

Emmeline's head dropped, her brown locks falling into her face, unwilling to let them see the tears forming in her eyes at that moment. She'd known it was possible, but she hadn't wanted to accept it, to believe it was possible. Nobody got the honor of seeing her so vulnerable, the only person who'd ever seen her cry was Augustus, willingly anyway. The only other person who'd seen her cry so fervently, not by choice, was Dumbledore. And perhaps he'd have done so on this day, but no, Emmeline Vance would not have Sirius Black see her cry.

"Now, we've got a job ahead of us." He spoke sternly. "We need to find a new location to meet, another safe house for the Order." Dumbledore's words spoke of finality. Now if Augustus came looking for her, he'd never find her. Any hopes of seeing him again, and oh how her heart yearned for him, were crumbling right before her. "And since it appears you are the only two here as of yet, I trust that the two of you shall have no trouble in making the accommodations we'll be needing." Good old Dumbledore, leaving no question in the matter, but no overwhelming command either, a way of making other do as he willed them to.

Sirius spoke, obedient and undermined, obliging for the both of them in a task neither of them really wanted to do. "Of course, we'll be done by the time the others arrive." Emmeline's head slowly moved back up, the tears gone from her eyes, any traces willed away. And her eyes, though sparkling with anger, nodded in agreement with his words.

"Good, good; very good. I have some business to attend to, so I'll be stepping out for a little while. I trust everything shall be ready to go when we meet again." The twinkle in his eye said he knew there was nothing to worry about. And with that he was gone, out of sight and out of mind.

* * *

Two hours had passed since then, and neither one of them wanted to cooperate with the other. Sirius was mad about having to leave his home, the only place he'd ever called his own, and that wretched Kreature would be coming along. Emmeline was more upset about his earlier accusations and couldn't bring herself to find any decency in a man that not too long ago been just fine with ignoring, and he back. But now, well, she found herself in constant conflict over what he did and said, not like he really mattered anyway. Emmeline had been more irritable ever since the Azkaban break, and she had many reasons and it was her right. Then again, Sirius had reason to be irritable too, his cousin Bellatrix Lestrange had just been let loose on the wizarding world once more, on of the most notorious killers aside from the Dark Lord himself.

Perhaps she shouldn't have come down on him so hard, but it was his fault, he was the one who brought up Augustus, and now, he was all she could think of. Emmeline couldn't focus on finding another location. Her flat was too small, and Sirius, well this was already his house. That meant they were starting from scratch. Surely some of the others would have offered up their homes, but they weren't here, now were they?

"Look, I don't like this anymore than you do, Black. But we have a job to do. I can't stand you, you can't stand me. Now that we've settled that, I will not apologize for telling Augustus where we met, he was a different man once." Emmeline didn't know why she was being so kind, giving him any sort of explanation, or as it was meant, an apology. "But I think it's only fair if we find a new spot as Dumbledore expected. Then the transition can be made much more easily when the others arrive."

Sirius, surprisingly had no biting comment to make, he was deep in thought, his eyes lucid and that far off look where his cold, strong gaze normally sat. So, lightly, she lifted a small hand and waved it before his eyes, causing him to snap back to reality. He seemed rather, off, not at all in the same spirits as earlier. Emmeline thought she just might fancy the irritating Sirius than this hollow shell of a man she saw now. Perhaps this is what Azkaban did to a man, after all, he'd only just escaped.

"The Tonks, Andromeda and Ted, they will take us, I'm sure." Andromeda was Sirius's other, also slightly older, cousin. It seemed she had been estranged from her family as well, she remembered her from their Hogwarts days, she did seem awfully nice enough. But from what she had once understood, she had not really condoned the war that they all entered into so unknowingly; that was why, she Ted had told her once, that they had moved to a small little place in France, away from the war and out of sight. They couldn't just thrust themselves upon them unwillingly, it wasn't right.

"Sirius, you're not well. Perhaps I should make arrangements else…"

"No." He snapped at her, the fight back in his eyes, whatever had been troubling him moments before gone from his mind. "Andy and Ted would be glad. I've already spoken to them." When he could have possibly spoken to them, unless… had he gone to them earlier, when he first realized they would have to move, before he'd confronted her? In that case, why had he let them sit here fuming at each other, really? "They would be happy to help. We'll have to move quickly though, they still want to remain undetected."

Why was he telling _her_ this? So everything was set… except for Harry. They were supposed to be going for Harry later, and there was a chance that word could have leaked. If they all came, they'd be lead right to the Tonks residence and they will have failed.

"What are you proposing, Black? That we go behind everyone's back and get Harry ourselves? That's preposterous, what if they catch us?" Emmeline's temper flared again. He was such a bloody git; he never did change, never did grow up.

"That's exactly what I'm saying." Black said nonchalantly, cool and indifferent. Didn't he care if he died? Then again, what did he really have to live for? Wait a second, when did Emmeline start taking out her frustrations on him, even if she never liked him much? Nevermind that now, this was something stupid for them to do. Did he just want to be hailed hero?

**A/N : Reviews would be very much appreciated, I'm trying my hand at the Harry Potter Generation for the first time as I usually write Maruaders Era or Next Generation. I'd love any and all feedback.**


	2. A Girl and her Dog

A Girl and her Dog

She simply couldn't believe she was doing this, let alone with Sirius Black. It didn't seem right; he was a wanted man, not rightly accused, but wanted all the same. She was in danger just being near him. And they were fools to think that they alone could do a job that was prepared for many, at least many more than two. And Harry wouldn't even be prepared for them, not until much later in the day. Why they had to get him first, and they could not just aparate from the house later, Emmeline didn't really understand why she had agreed to this silly little plan. With their luck, the death eaters would already be there, ready and waiting.

Maybe the truth was that Emmeline missed the danger that she used to feel when she was around Augustus and perhaps she was filled with a silly whim that he would be there, even if he was among fellow death eaters. Deep down, Emmeline had always loved a challenge, always tempted fate, but more than that, she'd done anything when it came to him, even when she could no longer see him, hear him, when his memory danced farther and farther away. But he was back now, he was back. And that was what had most certainly compelled her to be standing there, now.

Number four, Privet Drive, home of the fiendish Dursleys, not that she'd met them before. But Emmeline had heard many things about them. Sirius was beside her in his animagus form, so not to attract unwanted attention. So here they were, a small, child-like woman and a scruffy black dog. Oh yes, the Dursleys would absolutely adore them.

Emmeline shot an angry glance down at Sirius before once more taking in a sweeping glance of the neighborhood. There didn't seem to be any death eaters here, at least not yet, but that didn't mean that they wouldn't show. But first things first…

She was banging on the door, but inside there was no response. The Dursleys had to be there, and if they weren't surely Harry was. So why weren't they answering?

"Sirius, I swear I will kill you if the Death Eaters don't first." She was fuming; they were sitting ducks right now for anyone. They obviously didn't look much like the muggles, sure they looked like a girl and her dog, but the death eaters would know who they were. It wasn't safe, and it looked like they were going to have no luck getting inside. "I told you this would happen. We should go back."

The dog on her left gave a sad whimper and what many would consider a pout. She shook her head, her eyes still burning. "Oh no, you are not going to get me with those eyes!" She grabbed the dog by the scruff of it's back and was about to aparate when she heard something, someone coming closer, she heard the falling of rather heavy footsteps.

Sirius shook free of her grip and his ears lifted, perking up, listening, keen on the sound of the footsteps as well. If it was a muggle, they couldn't aparate in front of them. If it was a death eater, they would have to go quickly, or well, who knew what the consequence may be.

The steps were coming from the back of the house. That meant it was not a death eater, but it could be a wizard. More likely than not though, it would be a muggle, hopefully someone in the family. A man with a purple face came around front, and he seemed to be fuming. Maybe Emmeline should be frightened of this man, magic or not.

Beside her, Sirius the dog started barking at the man. This must be the uncle then. Poor Harry, to have to live with a man who seemed to have a worse temper than she did, it must have been a horrible childhood. He looked furious as he marched towards them; but why didn't he just come to the front door. Men were so damn difficult.

"Make that dog shut up, or I'll do it for you!" Vernon screamed at the top of his lungs. It was good the death eaters weren't here. He'd be the first to go, they didn't have much tolerance for people of such… annoyance. Harry's uncle proceeded to step over his lawn hedges until he was standing above her, most certainly in an attempt, a failed one mind you but an attempt all the same, to intimidate the girl, whom he thought was probably still a school girl, thinking that maybe she'd gotten the wrong house.

Sirius wasn't one to hesitate as Emmeline shot him an equally menacing glare. She softened her eyes and looked up to meet Vernon's, her face adopting a child's innocence. Surely even he couldn't turn away a poor little girl. "I'm sorry, Mister. I was looking for the Dursleys." Emmeline had a lot of practice in acting like a child, she did so often on her way to the Ministry daily; it got her out of some tough spots.

"What do you want?" He snapped, though his features had softened. The two of them had quite a bit more in common than she'd have thought. Vernon let his voice demand respect while his face told her there was not that big a bite behind his bark, at least not in her case. "I've got stuff to do, I don't have all day."

"I'm sorry sir, I just wanted to speak with your son…" Emmeline racked her brain for the boy's name. Damn, why couldn't she remember? Hopefully he wouldn't notice this slip up and he would drop the questions and let them in… well at least let her in, after all, who wants such a mangy mutt in their house? She grinned convincingly, though it was much inspired from the thought of Sirius being a mangy mutt than of what's-his-name's son.

"Dudley? You're here to see _my_ son?" Vernon seemed confused, as if a girl, or woman, as pretty and with such obnoxious dog, as she, could never want anything to do with their son. Poor boy, he must have so many problems too. No, she was not going soft, she was here for Harry. They had to be back by the time the others got there; and they would have Hermione and Ron, and all the other Weasley kids would be there to. It had been planned since the end of last term. There was no time to change anything. They needed to get Harry and get back out.

"But of course, I'm here to see Dudley." Moving along… "Might I step inside for a couple minutes? I won't stay long, I promise." This was taking too long. Sirius promised that if they came they would be in and out in a few minutes. She was beginning to think he was a nut job after all.

"I don't know… now's not really a good…" No, no, no. He had to let them in so they could get in, get Harry, and get out. She dropped her face in disappointment, looking as if she may cry. "Oh, alright. But five minutes and that's it." He grinned at her. Nobody could resist a sad little girl, especially when she was there for their son.

"Oh, thank you." She said grinning and looking tickled pink; this was more difficult than it had to be. The Dursleys knew about magic, but seeing as Sirius thought it better not to be attacked… well they were stuck going the longer, more irritating route. And they could not get in the house soon enough. Thankfully, she didn't have much longer to wait, Vernon took her hand and led her to the door again, this time turning the knob, meaning the door had been unlocked all this time, and leading her the rest of the way in.

**A/N : Here's the next chapter =] I hope you like this one... sorry about the way this chapter ended, but if I kept going I'm not sure it ever would have ended... But the next chapter should be up soon. I'd love any reviews you'd like to give me, good or bad.**


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